Mobile tree canopy treatment system

ABSTRACT

A method of treating a tree, the method includes positioning a temperature transmitter proximate to the tree; and lowering a treatment unit over the tree and the temperature transmitter, the treatment unit configured to move independently from a supply unit, the treatment unit in fluid communication with the supply unit.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.14/843,413, filed Sep. 2, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/152,558, filed Apr. 24, 2015, which arehereby specifically incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to tree canopy treatment systems. Morespecifically, this disclosure relates to mobile tree canopy treatmentsystems.

BACKGROUND

Plants, such as fruit trees and nut trees, may be susceptible to varioustypes of diseases. These diseases may be caused by bacteria, viruses,algae, fungi, chemicals, and various other pathogens and may impact thediseased plant's mortality, health, growth, and reproduction. Forexample, various diseases, such as Citrus Greening Disease, which isalso known as Huanglongbing (HLB), may kill or irreparably damage youngplants before reaching reproductive age, may affect reproductive output,or may directly affect various flowers and fruits of the plant.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a tree canopy treatment system including: a supply unitconfigured to heat a fluid; and a treatment unit in fluid communicationwith the supply unit, the treatment unit configured to moveindependently from the supply unit.

Also disclosed is a tree canopy treatment system including: a supplyunit configured to heat a fluid; a treatment unit in fluid communicationwith the supply unit; and a system controller configured to control theflow rate of the fluid between the supply unit and the treatment unit.

Also disclosed is a method of treating a tree, the method including:positioning a temperature transmitter proximate to the tree; andlowering a treatment unit over the tree and the temperature transmitter,the treatment unit configured to move independently from a supply unit,the treatment unit in fluid communication with the supply unit.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure may includeadditional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may notnecessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all suchsystems, methods, features, and advantages be included within thepresent disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and components of the following figures are illustrated toemphasize the general principles of the present disclosure.Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may bedesignated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistencyand clarity.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tree canopy treatment system accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure including a supply portionhaving a base and a treatment portion having an extension and atreatment canopy.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the supply portion of the tree canopytreatment system of FIG. 1 positioned on a converted vehicle.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the supply portion of the treecanopy treatment system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of another embodiment of a supply portion.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the supply portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is another side view of the supply portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the supply portion of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a treatment ring of the treatment portion ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the treatment ring of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the treatment ring of FIG. 8 taken fromdetail 10 in

FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a vertical connector of the treatmentring of FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a support ring, a treatment ring, and abase ring of the treatment portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the tree canopy treatment system ofFIG. 1 with the treatment portion at a collapsed height.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the tree canopy treatment system ofFIG. 1 with the treatment portion at a partially collapsed height.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the treatment canopy treatment systemof FIG. 1 with the treatment portion at an extended height and beingpositioned around a tree.

FIG. 16 is a detailed operational schematic of the supply portion ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 17 is an operational schematic of the treatment portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 is an electrical schematic for the tree canopy treatment systemof FIG. 1.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the flow path of water through the treecanopy treatment system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart of a main routine of treating a tree with thetree canopy treatment system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 21 is a flow chart of a sub-routine of the main routine of FIG. 20for controlling tree temperature.

FIG. 22 is a flow chart of a sub-routine of the main routine of FIG. 20for controlling a fluid temperature.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a support ring ofa treatment portion that is foldable.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a treatment portionwith the support ring of FIG. 23 and at a collapsed height.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a supply portion.

FIG. 26 is another perspective view of the supply portion of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is another perspective view of the supply portion of FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is another perspective view of the supply portion of FIG. 25.

FIG. 29 is another perspective view of the supply portion of FIG. 25.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed is a tree canopy treatment system and associated methods,systems, devices, and various apparatus. The tree canopy treatmentsystem includes a mobile base and an extension with a treatmentapparatus. It would be understood by one of skill in the art that thedisclosed mobile tree canopy treatment system is described in but a fewexemplary embodiments among many. No particular terminology ordescription should be considered limiting on the disclosure or the scopeof any claims issuing therefrom. Directional references such as “up,”“down,” “top,” “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” and “corners,” amongothers are intended to refer to the orientation as shown and describedin the figure (or figures) to which the components and directions arereferencing.

Plants, such as various trees, flowers, bushes, crops, herbs, andvarious other types of plants, may be infected with one or more diseasesthat may negatively impact the respective plants. For example, diseasesmay damage or even kill portions of the plants such as branches, leaves,flowers, nuts, and fruits. A non-limiting example of a specific diseaseaffecting plants is the Huanglongbing (HLB) virus, commonly known as theCitrus Greening Disease, which infects citrus plants. The CitrusGreening Disease affects citrus plants by causing the infected trees tohave, for example, stunted growth, bear multiple off-season flowers,most of which fall off, and produce small, irregularly-shaped, andbitter tasting fruit with a portion of the peel that remains green.Controlling diseases such as the Citrus Greening Disease, may bedifficult as some diseases may have no known cure and infected plantsmay be difficult to maintain and keep alive.

The present disclosure describes various methods, systems, devices, andapparatus for treating infected plants with a heated fluid. In oneembodiment, a method may include providing a steam environment in whichan infected plant is treated. The method may include treating theinfected plant at a specific temperature for a specific time such thatthe disease may be treated without killing the infected plant ordamaging existing fruit.

In another embodiment, the tree canopy treatment structure may include abase portion and a treatment portion. The tree canopy treatmentstructure may be mobile. The supply portion may include a burner andpump configured to generate pressurized and heated fluid that issupplied to the treatment portion. The burner and pump are controllablesuch that the outlet fluid from the supply portion is maintained withina particular range of temperatures and pressures.

The treatment portion may include a canopy that at least partiallyencloses the treatment region. In various embodiments, the treatmentregion is defined by a treatment ring. The treatment portion may bevertically and horizontally positioned relative to the supply portionsuch that a tree or plant to be treated is positioned at least partiallywithin the treatment region of the treatment portion during treatment.

The treatment ring may include a nozzle. The nozzle may introduce theheated and pressurized fluid from the supply portion into the treatmentregion. The heated and pressurized fluid may be introduced into thetreatment region in a mist form. The nozzle may be orientated such thatthe heated and pressurized fluid introduced into the treatment regioncreates a vortex whereby the heated mist is forced to circulate throughand around the infected plant.

The tree canopy treatment system may include a system controllerconfigured to monitor the temperature of the treatment region and shutoff the flow of heated fluid through the nozzle when a desired treatmenttime has been achieved. The system controller may also be configured tomonitor a temperature of the tree or a temperature within the treatmentregion. Exposing the infected plant to an environment at a specifictemperature of a specific time may reduce the rate or amount of diseaseinfection in a plant without killing the infected plant.

One embodiment of a tree canopy treatment system 100 for tree canopytreatment is disclosed and described in FIG. 1. The tree canopytreatment system 100 includes a supply portion 102 and a treatmentportion 104. The supply portion 102 is a supply unit and the treatmentportion 104 is a treatment unit.

In various embodiments, the supply portion 102 includes a hot watergenerator 118 and pump 120 positioned on a base 106. The hot watergenerator 118 and pump 120 are in fluid communication with each otherand generate a fluid output from the supply portion 102 at a specifiedtemperature and pressure. In the present embodiment, the fluid is waterand the fluid output is water output; however, in various otherembodiments, the fluid may be any desirable fluid or vapor for treecanopy treatment. The hot water generator 118 is adjustable to controlthe temperature of the water output of the supply portion 102. The pump120 is adjustable to control the pressure of the water output of thesupply portion 102 in various embodiments. The flow is adjustablethrough a recirculation valve 1900 (illustrated in FIG. 19), which isdownstream of the pump 120. The water output of the supply portion 102is transported to the treatment portion 104 via hosing 108 ; however,the disclosure of hosing 108 should not be considered limiting on thecurrent disclosure as in various other embodiments, other connectingmechanisms such as piping, tubing, and various other mechanisms enablingfluid communication between the supply portion 102 and the treatmentportion 104 may be utilized.

The treatment portion 104 includes a canopy 112 and at least onetreatment ring 800 (shown in FIG. 8). In various embodiments, the atleast one treatment ring 800 sprays the hot pressurized water outputfrom the supply portion 102 through nozzles 806 (shown in FIG. 8) on thetreatment ring 800, as is described in greater detail below. In variousembodiments, the nozzles 806 on the treatment ring 800 atomize the hotwater into steam for treatment of the tree to be treated. When theatomized hot water condenses within the treatment portion 104, heat isreleased into the air within a treatment region 802 of the treatmentring 800.

The canopy 112 is draped around and surrounds the treatment ring 800 tocontain moisture and heat within the treatment region 802 of thetreatment ring 800. In various embodiments, the canopy 112 includes anymaterial suitable for moisture and heat retention, such as thosematerials from the group including, but not limited to, variouspolymers, textiles, plastics, metal sheets, composites, and variousother suitable material.

In various embodiments, a jib 110 is connected to the at least onetreatment ring 800 through a connection mechanism such as hooks, hooksand loops, buckles, clasps, pins, bolts, screws, and various othersimilar connection mechanisms. The jib 110 may be utilized in variousembodiments for aiding in raising, lowering, and positioning thetreatment portion 104. In various other embodiments, the jib 110 may beomitted from the treatment portion 104. In various other embodiments,the treatment portion 104 may include a plurality of canopies andtreatment rings such that the tree canopy treatment system 100 may treatmultiple plants at once.

The tree canopy treatment system 100 is mobile in various embodiments.In various embodiments, the base 106 provides the mobility for the treecanopy treatment system 100. In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1,the base 106 is mounted on a converted vehicle 114, such as those usedfor collecting citrus fruit. In various other embodiments, the base 106may be mounted on various other types of vehicles, converted vehicles,and various other transporting mechanisms. In various embodiments, thebase 106 is equipped with its own movement mechanism and includes amovement mechanism such as wheels, sliders, rollers, or various othermovement mechanisms connected to the base 106.

As shown in FIG. 1, in various embodiments, the converted vehicle 114includes an elevating mechanism 116. In the present embodiment, theelevating mechanism 116 is a boom arm mounted on the converted vehicle114. In various embodiments, the jib 110 is connected to the elevatingmechanism 116 through a connection mechanism such as hooks, hooks andloops, buckles, clasps, pins, bolts, screws, and various other similarconnection mechanisms. In various embodiments, the elevating mechanism116 allows for horizontal and vertical movement of the treatment portion104 relative to the supply portion 102 such that the treatment portion104 is adaptable to treat various sized plants relative to the base 106.In various embodiments, the elevating mechanism 116 may also be used toguide the hosing 108 from the supply portion 102 to the treatmentportion 104. In embodiments where the converted vehicle 114 or othertransporting mechanism does not include the elevating mechanism 116, thejib 110 may be connected to various other elevating mechanisms, such aslifts, cranes, pulleys, gears, and any other suitable elevatingmechanism for selectively raising and lowering the canopy 112 throughthe jib 110 during a treatment process, as is described in greaterdetail below. The various elevating mechanisms may be part of theconverted vehicle 114 or may be structures, components, or mechanismsindependent from the converted vehicle 114.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the supply portion 102 of the tree canopy treatmentsystem 100. As previously described and as shown in FIG. 3, in variousembodiments, the supply portion includes the hot water generator 118 andpump 120 positioned on the base 106.

In various embodiments, the base 106 includes a steam generator skid302. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pump 120 and hot watergenerator 118 are positioned on the steam generator skid 302 in variousembodiments. However, the disclosure of the steam generator skid 302should not be considered limiting on the current disclosure as the hotwater generator 118 and pump 120 may be positioned as desired on thebase 106 in various other embodiments.

In various embodiments, the hot water generator 118 is a liquid fuelfired hot water generator 118 that utilizes a burner 1802 (illustratedin FIG. 18) to heat the fluid flowing through the hot water generator118; however, in various other embodiments, the hot water generator 118is any suitable type of hot water generator 118 capable of heatingfluid, such as water, of the supply portion 102. In various embodiments,the hot water generator 118 is adjustable and may heat water to adesired temperature. In various other embodiments, the flow of waterthrough the hot water generator 118 is adjustable through therecirculation valve 1900 (illustrated in FIG. 19) to get a desiredheated fluid temperature.

The supply portion 102 is controllable to heat and maintain a desiredoutlet water temperature. For example, in various embodiments where thetree canopy treatment system 100 is used to treat Citrus GreeningDisease, the hot water generator 118 may heat water to temperaturesbetween 210° F. and 260° F., such as between 210° F. and 250° F., suchas between 225° F. and 245° F., such as about 235° F.; however, invarious other embodiments, the hot water generator 118 may heat water tovarious other temperatures suitable for treating Citrus Greening Diseaseor other various diseases. In various other embodiments, the hot watergenerator 118 heats the water to a sufficient temperature such that thetreatment portion 104 heats a diseased tree to a sufficient temperaturefor treatment. In various embodiments, the hot water generator 118 heatsthe water to a sufficient temperature such that the treatment portion104 heats the treatment portion to temperatures between 119° F. and 135°F., such as between 121° F. and 131° F., such as about 126° F. Invarious other embodiments, the tree may be heated to other temperaturessufficient to treat the tree. The disclosure of a tree as the item to betreated should not be considered limiting on the current disclosure.

The pump 120 is in fluid communication with the hot water generator 118.

Portion. In various embodiments, the pump 120 adjustably pressurizes thewater within the tree canopy treatment system 100 to a desired pressureor flow. In various embodiments, the pump 120 pumps water to the hotwater generator 118 from a water supply source. In various embodiments,the water supply source is external to the supply portion 102. Invarious other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the water supplysource is a water tank 212 positioned on the base 106 and in fluidcommunication with the pump 120 and hot water generator 118. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, in various embodiments, the base 106 includes a tankrailing 214 for retaining the water tank 212 on the base 106; however,the disclosure of the tank railing 214 should not be considered limitingon the current disclosure.

In addition to the hot water generator 118 and the pump 120, in variousembodiments, the supply portion 102 includes additional componentsutilized with the tree canopy treatment system 100. As shown in FIG. 2,in various embodiments, the supply portion 102 includes a pressureregulator 204. In various embodiments, the pressure regulator 204regulates outlet pressure from the pump 120 at safe and usablepressures. The pressure regulator may be positioned on the base 106 invarious embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, in variousembodiments, the supply portion 102 includes a burner control wiringenclosure 306 on the base 106. In various embodiments, the burnercontrol wiring enclosure 306 includes a burner controller (notillustrated) and controls for various components of the supply portion102 such as the hot water generator 118, pump 120, and various othercomponents. As shown in FIG. 3, in various embodiments, the supplyportion 102 includes an engine 316 for supplying energy to components ofthe supply portion 102, such as the pump 120, hot water generator 118,and various other components.

In various embodiments, the supply portion 102 includes a controllerenclosure 210 as shown in FIG. 2. The controller enclosure 210 includesthe system controller, which is in electrical communication with thevarious components of the supply portion 102 and the treatment portion104. Through a treatment program, the controller controls thetemperature and pressure of the water generated by the supply portion102 and also the duration of the water spray in the treatment portion104. In various treatment environments, the treatment temperature andtreatment duration are controlled to treat the diseased tree withoutirreparably damaging or killing the tree.

In various embodiments, the controller is a Programmable LogicController (PLC) that includes programmable logic, which runs thetreatment program. In various embodiments, the PLC may be programmed toreceive a desired treatment duration, a desired treatment temperature,and a desired treatment pressure from the operator. In variousembodiments, the PLC uses the treatment duration, treatment temperature,and treatment pressure to control the temperature and pressure of thewater output by the supply portion 102 and the duration of fluid flowthrough the nozzles 806 of the treatment portion 104.

As described in greater detail below, the PLC is also in communicationwith a temperature transmitter 1502 a (shown in FIG. 15), which isutilized to monitor the temperature of a tree within a canopy treatmentregion 1212. The temperature transmitter 1502 a may be a temperaturetransmitter or element capable of sending a temperature signal to thePLC. The temperature transmitter 1502 a may be in wired or wirelesscommunication with the PLC. The temperature transmitter 1502 a withinthe canopy treatment region 1212 during heat treatment may moreaccurately monitor the temperature within the canopy treatment region1212 compared to temperatures monitored external to the canopy treatmentregion 1212. In various embodiments, the controller is in communicationwith a canopy valve 1902 (illustrated in FIG. 19) to selectively openand close the canopy valve 1902. Opening and closing the canopy valve1902 thereby controls fluid flow from the supply portion 102 to thetreatment portion 104 and through the nozzles 806 of the treatmentportion 104. The PLC may be configured to close the canopy valve 1902and thereby shut off the flow of fluid through the nozzles 806 when adesired treatment time at a desired temperature has been achieved.Communication with the PLC may be wired communication or wirelesscommunication. In various other embodiments, the treatment program ofwater temperature and pressure and treatment duration is manuallycontrolled. In various embodiments, the PLC also incorporates variousinterlocks such as tank level, flow, temperature, pressure, and variousother interlocks to protect the pump 120, the hot water generator 118,various other equipment, and the treated tree or plants from potentialdamaging situations.

FIGS. 4-7 show another embodiment of a supply portion 402. As shown in

FIGS. 4-7, the supply portion 402 includes a hot water generator 418,which may be functionally similar to the hot water generator 118, and apump 420, which may be functionally similar to the pump 120. In variousembodiments, the supply portion 402 also includes: a base 406, which maybe functionally similar to the base 106; a tank railing 414, which maybe functionally similar to the tank railing 214; the controllerenclosure 410, which may be functionally similar to controller enclosure210; a steam generator skid 426, which may be functionally similar tothe steam generator skid 302; and an engine 416, which may befunctionally similar to the engine 316. As illustrated in FIG. 4, thesupply portion 402 includes two water tanks 212 a,b. The water tank 212a is a first water tank and the water tank 212 b is a second water tankin fluid communication with the water tank 212 a. The second water tank212 b increases the capacity of fluid stored on a base 406 in variousembodiments.

In various embodiments, the base 406 also includes a generator railing422. In various embodiments, the generator railing 422 providesprotection for the components of the supply portion 402, such as the hotwater generator 418 and the pump 420.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, in various embodiments, the controller enclosure410 is mounted on the tank railing 414. In various embodiments, the base406 includes feet 508 as shown in FIGS. 5-7. In various embodiments, thefeet 508 may be utilized to position and support the base 406 on theconverted vehicle 114 shown in FIG. 1. Space between the base 406 andthe converted vehicle 114 may be utilized to route various electricalcomponents or piping components such as various hoses, tubing, or othercomponents. A detailed schematic of the supply portion 402 is shown inFIG. 16, which is described in greater detail below.

In various embodiments, the treatment portion 104 includes at least onetreatment ring 800 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In various embodiments,the treatment ring 800 are an octagonal shape; however, the shape of thetreatment ring 800 should not be considered limiting on the currentdisclosure as the treatment ring 800 may be any desired shape in variousother embodiments. In various embodiments, the treatment ring 800 isconstructed from a number of segments of piping; however, in variousother embodiments, the treatment ring 800 may be a single continuouspipe. The disclosure of piping should not be considered limiting on thecurrent disclosure as in various other embodiments, the treatment ring800 is constructed from tubes, pipes, hoses, or various other similarcomponents enabling fluid flow through the treatment ring 800. Invarious embodiments, the treatment ring 800 is constructed from varioustypes of pressure piping. For example, in various embodiments thetreatment ring 800 is constructed from pressure piping enabled to hold afluid of a system that operates at about 110 psig. In variousembodiments, the pressure at which the tree canopy treatment systemoperates may be less than the maximum pressure that the pressure pipingmay hold. The type of pressure piping used may be varied depending onparticular application.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in various embodiments, the center area ofthe treatment ring 800 defines a treatment region 802. During treatmentof a tree, the tree canopy treatment system 100 positions the treatmentring 800 such that the tree to be treated is within the treatment region802. In various embodiments, the treatment ring 800 includes fluidconnectors 804. The fluid connectors 804 may be a fitting, may be athreaded connector that connects with the piping of the treatment ring800, may be welded to the piping of the treatment ring 800, or may beconnected to the treatment ring 800 through various other suitablemechanisms. In various embodiments, the treatment ring 800 includes atleast one spray nozzle 806 connected to at least one connector 804. Invarious embodiments, the spray nozzle 806 is orientated to direct fluidinto the treatment region 802. In the present embodiments, eachtreatment ring 800 includes six connectors 804 and four spray nozzles806; however, the number of fluid connectors 804 or the number of spraynozzles 806 should not be considered limiting on the current disclosure.

In various embodiments, the connectors 804 without spray nozzles 806 areeither connected to the hosing 108, which is connected to the supplyportion 102 as illustrated in FIG. 1, connected to hosing 1208 a or 1208b (illustrated in FIG. 12), or the connectors 804 are plugged. Invarious embodiments, hosing 108 provides fluid communication between thetreatment ring 800 and the supply portion 102 and the hosing 1208provides fluid communication between multiple treatment rings 800 whenthe treatment portion 104 includes more than one treatment ring 800.

In various embodiments, the spray nozzle 806 may be selected from thegroup of nozzles including, but not limited to, full cone spray nozzles,hollow cone spray nozzles, fan spray nozzles, misting spray nozzles, airatomizing spray nozzles, special purpose spray nozzles, and variousother types of spray nozzles. In various embodiments, a single treatmentring 800 may include at least two different types of spray nozzles 806.In various embodiments with more than one treatment ring 800, the spraynozzles 806 on one treatment ring 800 may be a different spray nozzletype from a spray nozzles 806 on another treatment ring 800. Theconfiguration, number, or location of spray nozzles 806 or fluidconnectors 804 on the treatment rings 800 should not be consideredlimiting on the current disclosure. In various embodiments, the number,location, or type of spray nozzles 806 may be varied depending on aparticular use of the tree canopy treatment system 100. For example, invarious embodiments, different spray nozzles 806 may be utilized todevelop different spray patterns within the treatment region 802.

In the present embodiment, the spray nozzles 806 atomize the heatedfluid from the supply portion 102 to create steam or mist. In variousembodiments, the spray nozzles 806 are orientated such that fluid flowthrough the nozzles 806, such as steam, creates a vortex in thetreatment region 802. Accordingly, the nozzles 806 circulate the steamaround and through various portions of the tree for an even distributionof the fluid within the treatment region 802.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in various embodiments, the treatment ring800 includes vertical connectors 810. As shown in FIG. 9, in variousembodiments, the vertical connectors 810 include a top connector 900 anda bottom connector 902. In various embodiments where the treatmentportion 104 includes more than one treatment ring 800, as shown in FIG.12 and described in greater detail below, the vertical connectors 810provide mechanical connections enabling adjacent treatment rings 800 tobe vertically connected. As described in greater detail below, invarious embodiments, adjacent treatment rings 800 may be connected toeach other through various support mechanisms.

FIG. 10 shows a portion of the treatment ring 800 taken from detail 10in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 10, the vertical connector 810 includes afirst portion 1000 and a second portion 1002 angled relative to thefirst portion 1000 at an angle α. In various embodiments, angle α may beany desired angle depending on the desired shape of the treatment ring800. In various embodiments, the angle α may be 45° when the treatmentring 800 is the octagonal shape. FIG. 10 also shows the nozzle 806connected to the fluid connector 804.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the vertical connector 810. As shown inFIG. 11, in various embodiments, the top connector 900 defines a topconnecting bore 1100 as a connecting mechanism and the bottom connector902 defines a bottom connecting bore 1102 as a connecting mechanism. Thedisclosure of connecting bores 1100,1102 should not be consideredlimiting on the current disclosure as in various other embodiments, theconnection mechanism may be selected from the group of connectingmechanisms including, but not limited to, hooks, hooks and loops,buckles, clasps, pins, bolts, screws, and various other connectingmechanisms. In various embodiments, the connecting bores 1100,1102 mayconnect with the various vertical support mechanisms enabling verticalmechanical connection between adjacent treatment rings 800.

FIG. 12 shows the treatment portion 104 with the jib 110 and canopy 112removed to show a plurality of treatment rings 800, a support ring 1200,and a base ring 1202. In the present embodiment, the treatment portion104 includes three treatment rings 800 a,b,c; however, the number oftreatment rings 800 included with the treatment portion 104 should notbe considered limiting on the current disclosure. As shown in FIG. 12,the treatment rings 800 a,b,c of the treatment portion 104 are alignedsuch that the treatment regions 802 a,b,c of each ring 800 a,b,c,respectively, are offset. In various embodiments, the nozzles 806 b ofthe treatment ring 800 b are different from the nozzles 806 a,c of thetreatment rings 800 a,c, respectively. In various embodiments, thenozzles 806 b are cone nozzles and the nozzles 806 a,c are fan nozzles.In various embodiments, the base ring 1202 defines a bottom opening1204. In various embodiments, the aligned treatment regions 802 andbottom opening 1204 define a canopy treatment region 1212. In variousembodiments, the tree to be treated is positioned in the canopytreatment region 1212 during treatment.

As shown in FIG. 12, in various embodiment the treatment portion 104includes the inter-ring hosing 1208 between adjacent rings 800 such thatrings 800 a,b,c are in fluid communication with each other. In variousembodiments, the inter-ring hosing 1208 a,b is connected to connectors804 a,b,c, of each treatment ring 800 a,b,c, respectively, that arewithout nozzles 806 and enables fluid communication between the multipletreatment rings 800 a,b,c. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the hosing 1208 aconnects the treatment ring 800 a with the treatment ring 800 b suchthat the treatment rings 800 a,b are in fluid communication, and thehosing 1208 b connects the treatment ring 800 b with the treatment ring800 c such that the treatment rings 800 b,c are in fluid communicationsuch that hosing 1208 a and hosing 1208 b connect to treatment ring 800b with fluid connector 804 b located 180° apart. This provides evenfluid pressure drop inside ring 800 b. The disclosure of inter-ringhosing 1208 should not be considered limiting as in various otherembodiments, the treatment rings 800 are in fluid communication witheach other through piping, tubing, or any other suitable mechanism forfluid communication. In embodiments with a single treatment ring 800,the inter-ring hosing 1208 may be excluded from the treatment portion104. In various embodiments, one of the plurality of treatment rings 800a,b,c, such as the treatment ring 800 a, is connected to the hosing 108(not shown in FIG. 12). In various embodiments, the hosing 108 isconnected to one of the fluid connectors 804 a without a nozzle 806 aand that is on opposite side of 800 a where hosing 1208 a is connected.In various embodiments, the hosing 108 enables fluid communicationbetween the treatment rings 800 and the supply portion 102 such that thehot and pressurized fluid generated by the supply portion 102 istransported to the treatment rings 800.

As shown in FIG. 12, in various embodiments, in addition to thetreatment rings 800, the treatment portion 104 includes the support ring1200 and the base ring 1202. The number, location, or shape of any ofthe treatment ring 800, support ring 1200, or base ring 1202 should notbe considered limiting on the current disclosure as in variousembodiments, the treatment rings 800, support ring 1200, or base ring1202 may have any desired shape, number, or location.

In various embodiments, the treatment rings 800, support ring 1200, andbase ring 1202 are connected to each other through support mechanisms1206. In various embodiments, the support mechanisms 1206 may be varioussupport mechanisms including, but not limited to, ropes, cables, chains,rods, beams, and various other support mechanisms enabling mechanicalconnectivity between the various rings 800,1200,1202 of the treatmentportion 104. In various embodiments, the support mechanisms 1206 arecollapsible or extendable such that a distance between adjacent ringsmay be varied. Various collapsible or extendable support mechanisms 1206include, but are not limited to, telescoping rods, telescoping beams,ropes, cables, chains, and various other similar support mechanisms.

The height of the treatment portion 104 is defined as a distance fromthe top ring of the treatment portion 104, such as the support ring1200, to the bottom ring of the treatment portion 104, such as the basering 1202. In various other embodiments, the top ring may be onetreatment ring 800 or the bottom ring may be one treatment ring 800. Invarious embodiments utilizing collapsible or extendable supportmechanisms 1206, the height of the treatment portion 104 may be variedbetween an extended height (shown in FIG. 15) and a collapsed height(shown in FIG. 13). In various embodiments, the height of the treatmentportion 104 in the extended height is greater than the height of thetreatment portion 104 in the collapsed height. In various otherembodiments, the support mechanisms 1206 are rigid such that a distancebetween adjacent rings may not be varied. Various rigid supportmechanisms 1206 include non-telescoping rods, beams, and various othersimilar support mechanisms. In the present embodiment, the supportmechanisms 1206 are chains.

In various embodiments, the support ring 1200 includes a supportconnector 1214 that may connect to the jib 110. In various embodiments,the jib 110 is connected to the support connector 1214 through aconnection mechanism (not shown) such as hooks, shackles, hooks andloops, buckles, clasps, pins, bolts, screws, and various other similarconnection mechanisms.

As shown in FIG. 12, in various embodiments, the support ring 1200defines a top opening 1210 in a center portion of the support ring 1200.In various embodiments, the base ring 1202 is a weighted ring. Invarious embodiments, the base ring 1202 is identical to the treatmentrings 800 but is without any spray nozzles 806 or connecting hoses 1208.In various embodiments where the support mechanisms 1206 are collapsibleor extendable, the base ring 1202 may aid in varying the height of thetreatment portion 104 between the collapsed height and the extendedheight. In various embodiments, the treatment portion 104 may be in thecollapsed state to allow for easier transport.

In various embodiments, the canopy 112 shown in FIG. 1 is draped aroundand surrounds the treatment rings 800, the support ring 1200, and thebase ring 1202. In various embodiments, the canopy 112 also covers thetop opening 1210 of the support ring 1200. The canopy 112 is utilized tocontain moisture and heat within the canopy treatment region 1212 of thetreatment portion 104.

FIG. 13 shows the tree canopy treatment system 100 with treatmentportion 104 at the collapsed height. FIG. 14 shows the tree canopytreatment system 100 with the treatment portion 104 at a partiallycollapsed height between the collapsed height and the extended height.FIG. 15 shows the tree canopy treatment system 100 with the treatmentportion 104 at the extended height. In various embodiments, thetreatment portion 104 is at the extended height while the elevatingmechanism 116 raises and lowers the treatment portion 104 around thetree to be treated, as illustrated in FIG. 15.

FIG. 15 shows the treatment portion 104 at the extended height. As shownin FIG. 15, the canopy 112 is draped around and surrounds the treatmentrings 800. As shown in FIG. 15, in various embodiments, the base opening1204 of the base ring 1202 is positioned over a tree 1500 to be treatedbefore the treatment portion 104 is positioned around the tree 1500. Totreat the tree 1500, the treatment portion 104 may be lowered over thetree 1500 such that the tree 1500 is positioned in the canopy treatmentregion 1212 defined by the treatment rings 800. In various embodiments,the treatment portion 104 is positioned around the tree 1500 with thebase ring 1202 positioned on the ground. As shown in FIG. 15, in variousembodiments, the temperature transmitter 1502 a is positioned such thatit will be within the canopy treatment region 1212. The temperaturetransmitter 1502 a may be attached to the tree 1500. In various otherembodiments, the temperature transmitter is configured to monitor thetemperature of the tree 1500 during treatment. In various embodiments,the temperature transmitter 1502 a is in wired communication or wirelesscommunication with the PLC.

FIG. 16 shows a schematic of the supply portion 402 with additionalequipment. As previously described, the supply portion 402 includes thehot water generator 418 and the pump 420. As illustrated in FIG. 16, thesupply portion 402 includes the water tanks 212 a,b. The pump 420 pumpswater from the tanks 212 a,b to the hot water generator 418. In variousembodiments, a burner 1602 is utilized to provide heat into the waterflowing through the hot water generator 418; however, the disclosure ofthe burner 1602 should not be considered limiting on the currentdisclosure. In various embodiments, the burner 1602 may utilize a fuelsource, for example diesel fuel, to generate the necessary heat.

The supply portion 402 includes a recirculation valve 1604 positionedbetween the pump 420 and the hot water generator 418. Heated water mayexit the hot water generator 418. Together, the pump 420 and hot watergenerator 418 pressurize the water from the tanks 212 a,b and heat thewater under pressure. In various embodiments, a canopy valve 1600 isutilized to control the flow of the pressurized hot water from the hotwater generator 418. In various embodiments, the pressurized hot wateris recirculated via the recirculation valve 1604 from the supply portion402 to the tanks 212 a,b until the canopy valve 1600 is opened.

In various embodiments, the canopy valve 1600 is in communication withthe

PLC. In various embodiments, the PLC is in communication with a userdevice, such as a laptop or other electronic device, running a treatmentprogram. In various embodiments, the operator may select a start buttonof the treatment program on the user device, which causes the PLC tocommunicate with the canopy valve 1600 to permit fluid flow from thesupply portion 402 to the treatment portion 104. In various embodiments,the operator selects the start button after the treatment portion 104 ispositioned over a tree to be treated and a temperature transmitter, suchas temperature transmitter 1502 a, is positioned near the center of thetree 1500.

In various embodiments, the hot water generator 418 is automaticallycontrolled through the PLC to maintain a desired outlet watertemperature. The flow of water to the treatment portion 104 isautomatically controlled in various embodiments, to maintain a desiredtemperature in the treatment region 1212 containing the tree, asmeasured by the temperature transmitter 1502 a positioned in thetreatment region 1212. In various embodiments, the PLC is incommunication with the canopy valve 1600 and may be configured to openand shut the canopy valve 1600 to maintain a desired temperature withinthe treatment region 1212. The canopy valve 1600 may be closed toprevent fluid flow when a desired treatment time at a desiredtemperature has been achieved.

FIG. 17 shows a schematic the treatment portion 104. When the canopyvalve 1902 of the supply portion 102 (or canopy valve 1600 of the supplyportion 402) is opened, hot water from the supply portion 102 flowsthrough the hosing 108 to the treatment portion 104, which includes thecanopy 112 and the treatment rings 800 a,b,c having the nozzles 806a,b,c, respectively. In various embodiments, the treatment portion 104is lowered around the tree to be treated until the base ring 1202 restson the ground surface. The treatment portion 104 sprays the hot waterthrough nozzles 806. The nozzles 806 may evenly spray the water on thetree to thoroughly distribute the heat.

While the tree is being treated, the user may place the secondtemperature transmitter 1502 b on the next tree to be treated. Thenumber of temperature transmitters 1502 should not be consideredlimiting on the current disclosure. In various embodiments, after theheat treatment of the tree is finished, the treatment portion 104 israised and the tree canopy treatment system 100 is relocated to the nexttree where the process starts again.

In various embodiments, the temperature transmitters 1502 transmit atemperature signal to the PLC to communicate the detected temperature tothe PLC. In various embodiments, the PLC is programmable to control theambient temperature within the treatment portion 104, treatment durationwith water in the treatment portion 104, and various other aspects ofthe process that the user may want to control. For example, in variousembodiments, the user may control flow rate or pressure within the treecanopy treatment system 100.

In various embodiments, the canopy treatment region 1212 may be heatedto a temperature that is sufficient to reduce and/or prevent diseaseinfection in a plant. For example, in various embodiments, thetemperature may be maintained at a range from 121° F. to 135° F., suchas from 121° F. to 131° F. In various embodiments, the temperature maybe maintained at about 126° F. In various other embodiments, thetemperature may be outside of the range of 121° F. to 135° F., as thetreatment temperature may depend on treatment duration and ambientconditions. In various embodiments, the treatment duration may be anypredetermined duration of time that the plant is positioned in thecanopy treatment region 1212. In various embodiments, any desiredcombination of treatment duration and treatment temperature may beutilized to heat the temperature of a plant to a predeterminedtemperature. In various embodiments, the spray continues until a desiredtemperature is maintained at an adjustable temperature level for anadjustable time period.

FIG. 18 shows an electrical schematic of the tree canopy treatmentsystem 100. In various embodiments, when a treatment cycle is initiatedthrough the PLC, the canopy valve 1902 is opened and flow is allowed topass to the nozzles 806 of the treatment portion 104. The flowing watermay activate flow switches 1816 a,b and allow the burner 1802 to heatthe water in the hot water generator 118. In various embodiments, aburner switch 1810 must be turned “on” before the burner 1802 is allowedto fire. In addition, in various embodiments, the canopy valve 1902 isopen and allowing water flow to the treatment portion 104 for the burner1802 to turn on. In various embodiments, the low flow switches 1816 a,bmonitor the flow of water between the pump 120 and the hot watergenerator 118. In various embodiments, if flow is lost, the burner 1802will shut off. The number of low flow switches 1816 should not beconsidered limiting on the current disclosure. In various embodiments,after water heats the temperature within the canopy treatment region1212 to a desired temperature level and a treatment duration hasexpired, the canopy valve 1902 will shut and the burner 1802 will ceasefiring due to the loss of flow across the flow switches 1816. The waterflow will then recirculate to the tanks 212 a,b through therecirculation valve 1900.

In various embodiments, the conditions that may be satisfied for theburner 1802 to operate includes the PLC is turned on and optionally incommunication with the user device, the engine 316 is running, which inturn operates the pump 420, the burner switch 1810 is turned to an “on”position, and the water level in the tank 212 is above a setpoint. Invarious embodiments, if water levels in the tank 212 is too low, a lowlevel trip is activated, which may prevent the burner 1802 fromoperating until the water tanks are refilled.

As illustrated in FIG. 18, the burner control wiring enclosure 306includes a temperature display 1806 in electrical communication with atemperature probe 1818 in various embodiments. The burner control wiringenclosure 306 also includes an hour meter 1804 in various embodimentsthat is in electrical communication with the engine 316. A battery 1820is in electrical communication with the engine 316. The burner controlwiring enclosure 306 includes a temperature control relay 1808 incommunication with the PLC in various embodiments. The burner controlwiring enclosure 306 also includes a circuit breaker 1812 in variousembodiments.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the flow path of water through the treecanopy treatment system 100. Water may be held in the water tank 212.The pump 120 pulls water from the water tank 212 and pumps it to the hotwater generator 118. The water may flow through the flow switches 1816a,b. The water is heated in the hot water generator 118 and exits thehot water generator 118 to flow to the canopy valve 1902. The water mayflow past an outlet temperature transmitter 1904, which detects thetemperature of the water exiting the hot water generator 118. Thetemperature detected by the outlet temperature transmitter 1904 may beutilized by a burner control sub-routine, which is illustrated in FIG.22. When the canopy valve 1902 is open, the hot water flows to thetreatment portion 104 to treat the tree. One of the temperaturetransmitters 1502 a,b monitors the temperature of the atmosphere createdby the hot water in the canopy 112. In various embodiments, when thecanopy valve 1902 is closed, water exiting the pump 120 is recirculatedto the water tank 212 through the recirculation valve 1900.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a main routine 2000 fortreating a tree with the tree canopy treatment system 100. Asillustrated in FIG. 20, after starting the routine 2000, the operatordetermines whether the engine 316 is running in step 2002. If the engine316 is not running, in step 2004, the operator turns an engine switch toan “on” position. If the engine 316 is running, in step 2006, the PLCdetermines whether the water tank level in the water tank 212 is low. Ifthe water tank level is low, the routine 2000 proceeds to step 2008,where the engine automatically stops, and then to step 2010, where theoperator fills the water tank 212, before returning to step 2002.

If the water tank level is not low in step 2006, the routine 2000proceeds to step 2012, where the operator turns the burner switch 1810to the “on” position. In step 2014, the routine starts the burnercontrol sub-routine, which is illustrated in FIG. 22. In step 2016, theoperator selects a temperature transmitter 1502 and places it into thetree to be treated. A tree temperature control sub-routine, which isdescribed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 21, returns to themain routine 2000 in step 2128 between step 2012 and step 2016. In step2018, the operator lowers the treatment portion 104 including the canopy112 over the tree to be treated. In step 2020, the routine 2000 goes tothe tree temperature control sub-routine, which is illustrated in FIG.21. In step 2022, the PLC determines whether the tree thermal therapytreatment is completed. The PLC continues this determination until thetree thermal therapy treatment has ended, and then the routine 2000proceeds to step 2024 where the routine 2000 ends.

FIG. 21 illustrates a flow chart of the tree temperature controlsub-routine according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.As illustrated in FIG. 21, in step 2102, the operator selects a red orgreen temperature transmitter on a PLC Human Machine Interface (HMI)screen. The temperature transmitter selected on the HMI screencorresponds with the temperature transmitter 1502 selected by theoperator in step 2016. In step 2104, the PLC determines whether the treetemperature is below a setpoint temperature. If the tree temperature isnot below the setpoint temperature, the routine 2100 skips to step 2108,which is described below. If the tree is below the setpoint temperature,the routine 2100 proceeds to step 2106 where the automatic canopy valve1902 opens. In step 2108, the PLC determines whether the treetemperature is at or above the setpoint temperature. If the treetemperature is not at or above the setpoint temperature, the routine2100 continues to loop back to step 2108 until the tree temperature isat or above the setpoint temperature.

If the tree is at or above the setpoint temperature, in step 2110, thePLC determines whether a timer is running. If the timer is not running,in step 2112, the PLC starts the timer, and then returns to step 2108.If the timer is running in step 2110, in step 2114, the PLC determineswhether the tree temperature is at or above a high temperature setpoint.If the tree is at or above the high temperature setpoint, in step 2116,the PLC initiates an alarm on the HMI screen and closes the canopy valve1902. If the tree temperature is not at or above the high temperaturesetpoint, in step 2118, the PLC determines whether the tree temperatureis at or above a high-high temperature setpoint. If the tree temperatureis at or above the high-high temperature setpoint, in step 2120, the PLCcloses the canopy valve 1902.

If the tree temperature is not at or above the high-high temperaturesetpoint, in step 2122, the PLC determines whether the timer has runout. If the timer has not run out, the routine 2100 returns to step2108. If the timer has run out in step 2122, in step 2124, the PLCcloses the canopy valve 1902. In step 2126, the PLC adds 1 to a cyclecounter before returning to the main routine in step 2128.

FIG. 22 illustrates a flow chart of the burner control sub-routine 2200according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Asillustrated in FIG. 22, after the sub-routine starts, in step 2202, thePLC determines whether the fluid temperature detected by the outlettemperature transmitter 1904 is below a setpoint temperature. If thetemperature is below the setpoint temperature, the PLC proceeds to step2204, where the PLC determines whether flow is detected by the low flowswitches 1816.

If flow is detected, in step 2206, the burner 1802 starts, and theroutine 2200 proceeds to step 2208. If the fluid temperature is notbelow the temperature setpoint in step 2202 or if no flow is detected instep 2204, the routine 2200 proceeds to step 2208. In step 2208, the PLCdetermines whether the fluid temperature is above a high temperaturesetpoint. If the fluid temperature is not above the high temperaturesetpoint, the routine 2000 returns to step 2202. If the temperature isabove the high temperature setpoint, in step 2210, the burner 1802 turnsoff. In step 2212, the PLC determines whether the fluid temperature isabove a high-high temperature setpoint. If the temperature is not abovethe high-high temperature setpoint, the routine 2200 returns to step2202. If the temperature is above the high-high temperature setpoint,the PLC closes the canopy valve 1902 in step 2214.

FIG. 23 shows another embodiment of a support ring 2300. FIG. 24illustrates another embodiment of a treatment portion 2400 with thesupport ring 2300 connected to the treatment rings 800 and the base ring1202. FIGS. 25-29 show another embodiment of a supply portion 2502.

One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,”“could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments donot include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, suchconditional language is not generally intended to imply that features,elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particularembodiments or that one or more particular embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Manyvariations and modifications may be made to the above-describedembodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit andprinciples of the present disclosure. Further, the scope of the presentdisclosure is intended to cover any and all combinations andsub-combinations of all elements, features, and aspects discussed above.All such modifications and variations are intended to be included hereinwithin the scope of the present disclosure, and all possible claims toindividual aspects or combinations of elements or steps are intended tobe supported by the present disclosure.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A method of treating a tree, the methodcomprising: positioning a temperature transmitter proximate to the tree;and lowering a treatment unit over the tree and the temperaturetransmitter, the treatment unit configured to move independently from asupply unit, the treatment unit in fluid communication with the supplyunit.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: programming a systemcontroller with a treatment temperature and a treatment duration time;and running a treatment program through the system controller to treatthe tree at the treatment temperature for the treatment duration time.3. The method of claim 2, further comprising raising the treatment unitabove the tree and the temperature transmitter after the expiration ofthe treatment duration time.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein thetreatment unit includes a treatment ring defining a treatment region anda canopy enclosing the treatment region, and wherein lowering thetreatment unit over the tree and temperature transmitter includespositioning the treatment unit with the tree and temperature transmitterwithin the treatment region.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein thetemperature transmitter is a wireless temperature transmitter, andwherein lowering the treatment unit over the tree and the temperaturetransmitter includes using an elevating mechanism to move the treatmentunit independently from the supply unit.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising spraying a fluid into a treatment region, thetreatment region defined by the treatment unit, the tree positionedwithin the treatment region.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein sprayingthe fluid into the treatment region comprises spraying the fluid througha nozzle into the treatment region.
 8. The method of claim 6, furthercomprising heating the fluid within the supply unit.
 9. The method ofclaim 6, further comprising controlling a flowrate of the fluid tocontrol a temperature within the treatment region.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising monitoring the temperature with thetemperature transmitter.